WWE Saturday Night's Main Event LII - John Cena's Final Match: The Review
- Prince Osborne
- 6 minutes ago
- 4 min read
A career that transcended two decades of absolute excellence has met its final stage. Generations of fans weren't ready to see this, but here we are! John Cena stepped inside the confines of a wrestling ring for the final time ever as an active competitor against the winner of the Last Time is Now tournament, Gunther. The nation's capital gathered not only to see their idol one last time, but also to celebrate the hallmark career of one of the best to do so.
Not only was Cena's retirement imminent, but the undercard also was a fantastic showcase of the best prodigies from NXT, facing the top-tier stars of the current crop. As Cena wished, the baton has been passed to some of the biggest protégés who would become the next all-time greats of this sport. I'm Prince Osborne, honored to present the review of the 42nd edition of Saturday Night's Main Event. Let's get to work!
Singles Match
Cody Rhodes vs. Oba Femi
The match ended in a No Contest in 09:04
As anticipated, it was a fantastic showcase between the now & the future. Cody has proven against powerful specimens of physicality in the past, like Roman Reigns, Brock Lesnar, and Drew McIntyre. But Oba has risen to a level where he's different in the slightest way. His dominance in the ring was felt throughout, and for first-timers, they're in for a massive treat when Oba is officially on the main roster. As egregious as the finish looked, I get the 'Why?' this route has been chosen, as no one would wish two primary champions of the company to take an easy & clean loss. Also, the show has to move on with the bigger story of Drew's irate obsession over the WWE Championship and the man holding it with pride.
Rating: 3.5/5
Singles Match
Bayley vs. Sol Ruca
Sol Ruca def. Bayley by pinfall in 09:26
Time after time, Ruca seized every opportunity that came her way to ascend to the main roster, and there's this doubt lingering around: how will she manage to stay on the biggest stage, and the stakes are at an all-time high? That's what she did here with ease, delivering some of the absolutely athletic offense to watch out for in the current crop. Having a perfect dance partner like Bayley made her look like a million bucks, thanks to her sheer ring prowess and resilience to grind harder when diverse challenges were thrown in her path.
Rating: 3.5/5
Tag Team Match
AJ Styles & Dragon Lee vs. Je'Von Evans & Leon Slater
AJ Styles pinned Leon Slater for the win in 06:26
This one was highly anticipated because of the adrenaline these men could bring to the table on any given day. Je'Von & Slater didn't show any jitters on their biggest stage so far, delivered a taste of what's to come over the next decade or so, and left as the strongest rookies in defeat. To a point, it made the veterans a bit nervous (like AJ's slip off the Phenomenal Forearm), but it had a quick & efficient cover-up so it wouldn't linger and make the fans groan.
Rating: 3.5/5
Retirement Match
John Cena vs. Gunther
Gunther def. John Cena by submission in 23:42
On an in-ring standpoint, it was a solid David vs. Goliath encounter where Gunther tried relentlessly to make Cena quit, and Cena didn't budge so easily. That itself was the encapsulating story of something Cena has done over the years to a point where no one would want to see him quit. Seeing Cena hit the 'best hits' for the very final time against a monster like Gunther was bitterly satisfying. The final visual is stuck in my brain forever, as all the greatest players need to accept the reality that it has to end sometime. My minor nitpick was not witnessing a few final tributes or a difference in Cena's offense similar to his previous matches over the last few months. I'm certain that the discourse would be epic in favor of Gunther, for breaking a lot of fans' spirits, and to an extent, Hunter, for his "booking calls," but after a few years, this ending will be remembered as poetic justice to someone who had "Never Give Up" as his mantra.
Rating: 4.5/5
WWE Saturday Night's Main Event LII - John Cena's Final Match Review
This was a fantastic event, as promised by Cena, where the future went on a collision course against the now in a splurge of miraculous exhibitions, with the sprinkles of the final tribute to the Never Seen Seventeen. Everything was capped off with the emotionally charged match of the year, which saw the absolute pleasure of John Cena embracing the squared circle for the last time in style.
Overall Rating: 8/10
What are your thoughts on this illustrious event? Did you enjoy Cena's farewell year in WWE? Leave your thoughts in the comments section below.
And, here's my little love letter to the Greatest of All Time.
Dear John Cena,
If this reaches you in any capacity, I wanted to remind you how grateful I am to see your presence over the last decade in my fandom of professional wrestling, or sports entertainment, per your timeline. You've taught me not to lose hope in any situation, whenever I'm surrounded by circumstances that may look ordinary at times. You've taught me to rise and be true to myself when the whole world feels like hating me to the core. You've taught me to break the shell and adapt to different atmospheres with quick thinking. More importantly, you've taught me to take in everything that happens constructively and build a better version of a human every time.
Now that we've seen you do all, I wish you to take a well-deserved rest and watch your world shine with bigger, brighter stars so you can keep your promise to shake the hand of the one who wins 18 World Titles. I wanted some, you gave some. I marched forward with hustle, loyalty, and respect. Your time is bitterly up, but the clock never stops on your lessons. Thank you, John Cena!
Until next time, enjoy wrestling and life!